Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Whole-Grain How-To

Ever wanted to eat a "good, healthy" snack, but have no clue where to start, or much less what that even means?  Well, Empower Nutrition to the rescue!  We know snacks are sometimes the hardest thing to figure out when trying to incorporate a healthy, nutritious lifestyle, so look below to answer all your whole grain snack needs!  Enjoy!

EMPower Nutrition’s
 Whole-Grain How-To
Whole grains are shining in the spot light of the health and nutrition world…however, most Americans are shorting whole grain intake by a long shot, and getting well below the fiber recommendations of 25-35 grams per day.
No doubt, it can be quite a challenge to get you’re your fiber and whole-grains in everyday, so we wanted to share some of our simple, fun, delicious ideas to help you prevent food boredom, and get creative in reaching your fiber and whole grain goals each and every day!

What’s the big deal, what’s a whole grain anyway?
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel  (the bran, germ, and endosperm)


What to look for to ensure it’s a whole grain…
Marketing on the front of foods can be deceiving.  Make sure you go to the ingredients list to ensure your getting the grains you want.  Look for the first ingredient to be something like (not limited to):
whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, brown rice

Delicious ideas to pump up your whole-grains and fiber:

100-calorie Popcorn/Kettlecorn
 (We like Orville Redenbacher’s Smart-Pop)

100% whole-wheat toast with natural peanut butter
 (We like Sara Lee and Maranatha PB)

Rice Cakes
(We like Quaker)

Whole-wheat cracker with a cheese wedge
(We like Pepperidge Farm and Laughing Cow)

Whole-grain cereal and yogurt
(We like Kashi GoLean Crunch and Cascadian Farms)

Whole-wheat tortilla with black beans and salsa
(We like Mission whole wheat tortillas and On-the-Border salsa)

Smoothie with added ground flaxseed and oats
(We like Bob’s Red Mill and Quaker)

Whole-grain sandwich thin with turkey and sliced cheese
(We like Oroweat, Deli Selects, and Sargento)

Whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese
(We like Thomas and Philadelphia)

Brown rice with fat-free milk, honey, and fruit
(We like Uncle Ben’s)

Have other great snack ideas? 
Comment below and let us know some of your personal favorites!

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